Lust of the Vampire - Intro

I read some trivia about the film, kind of preparing myself for what had been considered a film worthy of great scorn and dismissive critique. Cushing passed on the Bates role (he lays it on a bit thick as a kind of high-pitched tenor emphasizing with great effort his words, often always in the thick of things, giving his two cents and nosy in all the affairs of a girls' school in the area near the castle of Carmilla (attending once she's resurrected by followers of the Prince of Darkness) and her Kernstein family) due to the illness of his wife and Ingrid Pitt also had no interest in offering another portrayal as "Marcella", citing the script as unworthy of her presence. And Fisher divorced himself from the film so Sangster took the reins, leaving us with this disregarded lower-tier Hammer vampire film with plenty of naked cleavage (nighties fall from shoulders or slide onto nude bodies in preparation for bed) and elevated emphasis on lesbianism (quickly Marcella's roommate makes a pass at her as the two plan for a midnight swim). Of course the male teachers of the girls' school--celebrated horror novelist, Richard Lestrange (Michael Johnson), who inserts himself into a literary position when he tricks a wannabe writer into going to Vienna, and the aforementioned Bates who portrays history teacher, Giles Barton, considered by the girls a leering creep always peeping on them--do kind of receive a presentation as perhaps harboring sleazy and amorous desires and intentions (or "lust"). The girls school is introduced nearly right after Richard is informed by the villagers about the 40 year anniversary of the silence of the Kernsteins, notorious for feeding from village virginal beauties...so it is kind of not subtle that these lovelies are introduced as cattle just prime prey ready to be bled dry. And  Yutte Sensgaard, as Mercalla, with the heaving bosom and enigmatic behavior that is somewhat elusive and mysterious, isn't quite up to the Pitt standard but her beauty is indeed not a detriment. Although Lestrange declaring his love towards her after meeting her just recently is ridiculous, Mercalla is supposed to have an allure and seductive presence, which is kind of the point of why Lestrange is smitten with her. But I think it is recognizable just why the film has its share of past critical/vocal abuse. When Bates says it is one of the worst films he ever (or has ever been) made, that is kind of a big ouch.